PICY: Language School and Immersion Program

Cinco estrellas!

Words cannot describe the amazing experience I had at PICY Language School. The entire PICY faculty/staff is there the entire time to support your language and cultural immersion needs. Studying Spanish and anthropology in the Yucatan Peninsula was a life changing experience for me. I met so many wonderful people traveling between different towns and cities, and made life time connections with my host families. Learning Spanish through cultural immersion brought me from basic elementary Spanish, to university-level in less than six months thanks to Karla's pedagogical methods. Being able to experience the culture of Yucatan first hand, as opposed to reading about it through a book really gave me a lot of perspective. I fell in love with Yucatan and all of the incredible people I met along the way. While my jarana skills did not improve, I can proudly say I left the PICY Language School with way more knowledge than before, and a heart full of frijol con puerco. Muchísimas gracias a todo el equipo de PICY!

Ha sido una increíble experiencia de vida conocer PICY, colaborar con el programa me ha ayudado a valorar más nuestra cultura, nuestras tradiciones y nuestras raíces. Agradezco a Karla por permitirme ser parte de este gran grupo.

My favorite part about participating in one of PICY Institute’s immersion programs is that my family grew tenfold. I grew up without extended family and always wished to feel part of a larger one. As a result of the program I now have four Yucatecan families that have adopted me as one of their own, and the impact this experience has had on me is indescribable. I never thought that my family could grow in such a way–and the fact that I now have these families for the rest of my life is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.The other most valuable part of the program for me is that I can finally speak Spanish! I have tried valiantly my whole life to learn Spanish, but I needed a full immersion without the option of English in order to gain the skills I needed to communicate effectively. Learning Spanish has allowed me to connect with wonderful people that I would not have been able to communicate with otherwise, and this has been incredibly rewarding.PICY Institute’s immersion program has been the most enriching experience not only of my educational career thus far, but also of my life. The time, care, and effort that PICY’s professors and facilitators show towards participants is unmatched. I wanted to continue studying with PICY, so I returned to Yucatán and now have the great privilege of doing my senior project for college with PICY’s guidance.

Una experiencia inolvidable con Karla. Nunca he encontrado a una persona con tanta pasión por la enseñanza y las culturas.

Tomé la clase online de español enfocada en la multiculturalidad en México y ha sido una maravillosa experiencia! He aprendido temas variados, de múltiples perspectivas y conocí muchos aspectos de México que antes no sabia. Ha sido como tener un viaje virtual. Las clases han sido por Zoom pero no por eso aburridas o tediosas. PICY ha hecho un excelente trabajo en llevar la experiencia cultural a través de la pantalla con diferentes materiales (vídeos, lecturas, podcasts, conversatorios con invitados especiales). Además de sus estrategias pedagógicas, PICY támbien cuenta con extraordinarios y súper amigables profesores. Karla, Lucero y Raúl lograr conectar con los alumnos y contagian su buena energía.

La maestra Karla es la mejor.

Inmersión es obviamente la mejor manera de aprender una lengua nueva. Además los maestros de PICY han ofrecido esta oportunidad a estudiantes de todos lados del mundo por más que veinte años y su practica es aparente en sus estilos de enseñar. No puedo expresar mi gracias por la experiencia que me dio PICY.Considering that immersion is the best way to learn a language and the twenty plus years of experience apparent in the work of all the professors at PICY, it's no surprise that students from all over the world reach a proficieny in Spanish unimaginable before starting classes with Karla.

One thing that struck me immediately is the people involved in the program. There is a tiny group of people who run the program with immense passion, dedication, humor, sincerity, and care. Because of this my experience was like none other. Coming from a community, I'm still processing what I've learned and thinking about how valuable everything was that I've seen, breathed, eaten, come to know, etc. I've realized that the experience of the program doesn't end after the 3 months- it's going to continue in my life and be a part of me and how I see the world.--Uno de los partes mas impactantes del programa es la gente que lo crea. Hay un grupo chiquitito de personas que maneja el programa con tanto pasión, dedicación, humor, sinceridad, paciencia, y cariño. Por eso mi experiencia fue como ningún otra. Yendo de una comunidad, estoy procesando todavía que he aprendido y pensando en el valor de lo que he visto, comido, conocido, respirado, platicado, etc. Me ha dado cuenta que la experiencia del programa no termina a los 3 meses, pero seguirá en mi vida y será un parte de mí y como veo el mundo.

PICY is an incredible school where you can improve your Spanish exponentially while also being fully immersed in a brand new culture and part of the world. If you are looking for a fun, rewarding, and introspective study abroad experience in the beautiful Yucatán Peninsula then I really can't recommend this school any higher. My time studying there helped me make invaluable connections with people from a totally different culture and explore their history as well as learn about and understand a completely new and exciting region with plants, animals, and habitats I only dreamed of encountering. For this I'll be forever grateful for PICY.